The FASEB Journal: Early Steps Toward Personalized Fitness: Interval Training May Benefit Men More than Women

New research in The FASEB Journal suggests that even though both men and women made more proteins in their muscles during interval training, men made more new proteins than the women

When it comes to reaping benefits of sprint interval training, it appears that men have won the battle of the sexes, if just barely. According to new research published in the June 2014 issue of The FASEB Journal, men create more new proteins as a result of this exercise than women do. The good news, however, is that men and women experienced similar increases in aerobic capacity. This study is the first to directly measure the creation of proteins made to adapt to this mode of exercise. The study also uniquely used methods that measure the cumulative making of proteins during the entire three weeks to account for other daily living factors, effectively ensuring that the study was a measure of real life conditions. Finally, this study does not extend to other types of exercise, such as running, jogging and cycling, where women may benefit equally or more.

"It is hoped that future studies distinguishing differences in responsiveness between sexes, age groups or disease conditions could lead to better tailored exercise prescription for health benefits," said Benjamin F. Miller, Ph.D., study author from the Translational Research on Aging and Chronic Disease Laboratory at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO.

To make this discovery, Miller and colleagues analyzed young, healthy, recreationally active males and females who completed sprint interval training (a series of very high intensity bouts of exercise on a stationary bike for short periods of time (30 second), three times a week, for three weeks. Outside of the study, the subjects carried on with their normal activities. Before and after the study, aerobic capacity was measured in both genders. In addition, over the course of the exercise training, researchers measured how many new proteins were made as well as what kinds of proteins were made in muscle. The making of muscle proteins was measured using metabolic tracers to determine the cumulative new amount of protein over the entire period.

"Just as we move into an era of personalized medicine, this report helps pave the way to personalized fitness," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "In fact, the two are really part of the same health spectrum: medicine is usually fixes problems, and fitness usually prevents them."

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Receive monthly highlights from The FASEB Journal by e-mail. Sign up at http://www.faseb.org/fjupdate.aspx. The FASEB Journal is published by the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). It is among the most cited biology journals worldwide according to the Institute for Scientific Information and has been recognized by the Special Libraries Association as one of the top 100 most influential biomedical journals of the past century.

When it comes to reaping benefits of sprint interval training, it appears that men have won the battle of the sexes, if just barely. According to new research published in the June 2014 issue of The FASEB Journal, men create more new proteins as a result of this exercise than women do. The good news, however, is that men and women experienced similar increases in aerobic capacity. This study is the first to directly measure the creation of proteins made to adapt to this mode of exercise. The study also uniquely used methods that measure the cumulative making of proteins during the entire three weeks to account for other daily living factors, effectively ensuring that the study was a measure of real life conditions. Finally, this study does not extend to other types of exercise, such as running, jogging and cycling, where women may benefit equally or more.

"It is hoped that future studies distinguishing differences in responsiveness between sexes, age groups or disease conditions could lead to better tailored exercise prescription for health benefits," said Benjamin F. Miller, Ph.D., study author from the Translational Research on Aging and Chronic Disease Laboratory at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO.

To make this discovery, Miller and colleagues analyzed young, healthy, recreationally active males and females who completed sprint interval training (a series of very high intensity bouts of exercise on a stationary bike for short periods of time (30 second), three times a week, for three weeks. Outside of the study, the subjects carried on with their normal activities. Before and after the study, aerobic capacity was measured in both genders. In addition, over the course of the exercise training, researchers measured how many new proteins were made as well as what kinds of proteins were made in muscle. The making of muscle proteins was measured using metabolic tracers to determine the cumulative new amount of protein over the entire period.

"Just as we move into an era of personalized medicine, this report helps pave the way to personalized fitness," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "In fact, the two are really part of the same health spectrum: medicine is usually fixes problems, and fitness usually prevents them."

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Receive monthly highlights from The FASEB Journal by e-mail. Sign up at http://www.faseb.org/fjupdate.aspx. The FASEB Journal is published by the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). It is among the most cited biology journals worldwide according to the Institute for Scientific Information and has been recognized by the Special Libraries Association as one of the top 100 most influential biomedical journals of the past century.

FASEB is composed of 27 societies with more than 120,000 members, making it the largest coalition of biomedical research associations in the United States. Our mission is to advance health and welfare by promoting progress and education in biological and biomedical sciences through service to our member societies and collaborative advocacy.